Help me to get Elton John!

There are plenty of other forums.

 

Here and There probably contains much of his best works, the London tracks sans Buckmaster's hideous arrangements are really quite fine

 

I had a few of Elton’s albums. I think Tumbleweed Connection, definitely Madman, and Yellow Brick Road and Honkey Chateau. After that I quickly moved on and never revisited him. I’m not drawn to pop culture icons.

I went to the Farewell Yellow Brick Road concert in Cleveland in 2018. I was under the impression this was his last concert tour. Who knew there would be a Final Tour that wasn’t so final either?

If you need help getting Elton John then I’d say go ahead and move on. You won’t miss him. Those of you that enjoy him, and there are a lot….I think that’s cool. He definitely made his mark.

 

That makes about as much sense as saying "there are other theaters" to Patrick Stewart when the Trekkies show up and ruin everything.

 

Well, judging by your last post that I replied to, you don't seem to be happy on "this ****ing boomer forum".

 

Everything from Elton John to Captain is essential, after that play with caution, though really enjoy the record he did 10/15 years ago with Leon Russell.

 

A little thing called Covid postponed it for a year plus. He’s still doing that tour, it’s almost done. It’s a mammoth tour of 300+ dates.

 

Which is exactly why I love it: vast and varied. It's hard to believe, a lot of the time, that it's all from the same guy. He's reinvented himself so often and yet it's difficult (for me, anyway) to truly dislike any of it. It's all part of this wondrous strange tapestry that is his discography.

My advice: Start with the "classic years" stuff that's easy to get, so maybe ca. 1970-75. Tumbleweed, Yellow Brick Road and Captain Fantastic certainly won't disappoint you. Then, go straight to his 1980s "royal flush", including everything from The Fox (1981) up to and including Breaking Hearts (1984). Those albums, I and others believe anyway, are as strong as his 1970s "classic years" albums. But after that, it's kind of touch-and-go, at least for beginners. For ongoing guidance, consult the album-by-album discussion thread that's about to wrap up in a few weeks: Elton John's Albums Discussion 1969-present

 

(request) Help me to get Elton John!

A: No need to like him, or anybody just because many people do.

 

Funny, I absolutely love Elton John, and never bought a single Billy Joel record.

 

As far as getting Elton John...

well he's a fantastic songwriter, a fantastic singer, a fantastic piano player, and a fantastic performer....plus a very decent fellow (former egomaniac) who cares about the world.

That's about it.

 

Try The Stranger from 1977 or The Nylon Curtain from 1982! These two albums are incredibly fantastic

 

It's spotty for sure after Captain Fantastic and several late 80s albums are out right terrible. But Elton rebounded artistically starting with Songs From The West Coast and made some solid records after that. The Captain And The Kid is a late career highlight.

 

Not sure why we're talking about Billy Joel in an Elton thread. I've never really felt their music had much in common.
I've never been a Billy fan but 52nd Street is a fantastic album. Only Billy album I need.

 

Probably the major artist whose Greatest Hits sets are the most misleading records in their catalogue. What I suspect you want is Elton more in Leon Russell / Richard Manuel mode than what used to get him on to Top of the Pops.

Everything up to andi including Captain Fantastic is worth owning. Especially the self titled sophomore set and Tumbleweed Connection. The two live albums from that era are also very decent especially the extended version of Here & There. There is also an expanded 17 11 70 but I missed out on that RSD reissue and I've not heard it.

 

52nd Street is funnily enough my least favourite album from Billy Joel‘s prime

 

...get these 2...Elton John and Tumbleweed...you should get it then.

 

For me, loving Elton John’s records at his peak meant also loving the band backing him, mainly Dee, Davey and Nigel (and sometimes Ray).

From Honky Château through Captain Fantastic I listened as much to the band, their sympathetic arrangements and their amazing harmonies…it made me realize how important they were to Elton’s music.

I never thought about Elton the diva star. To me they were The Elton John Band.

 

IMO, putting music to lyrics is easier than the reverse...

 

Wrong.

 

I recommend everything
from Sgt. Zippo
to
Blue Moves *



* with the exception
of Westies

 

I can't really explain why I don't like Joel. Theoretically I should. His voice sort of bugs me, and the music/lyrics, I don't know. It seems maybe more predictable or mundane. He's very much in the same vein as people I love, Beatles, McCartney, Nilsson, Elton...and he has written some nice songs...yet...he just doesn't interest me really at all.

Elton, on the other hand, I worship as much as The Beatles.

 

...are you a songwriter?

 

Well, it's actually Bernie Taupim who misses his lady.

 

A songwriter is not just someone who writes the words, but also who composes the actual music. So yes, Elton is a songwriter too.